Pumpkin Soup (FDD) - $3.83 a serving

Makes 6 servings · american · easy · USDA MyPlate Kitchen (public domain)
$22.95
basket total, in-store
$3.83
per serving (6 servings)
-$0.80
cheaper than the $4.62 median dinner

Every non-staple ingredient matched to a real product on the shelf, priced on 2026-07-19 at Kroger - Kroger On the Rhine (ZIP 45202). 2 pantry staples excluded. Prices change without notice - this is what we paid attention to on that date, not a quote.

The recipe saysWe foundPackageUsesCostsLeft over
1/4 pound beef round roast (thawed, sliced thinly)Choice Top Round Roast Beef · 1 lb$9.99113 g$2.49$7.50
2 cans low-sodium pumpkin (about 30 ounces)Libby's 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin · 15 ozx2$2.99850 g$5.98$0.00
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or 2 tablespoons brown sugar)Simple Truth Organic® Dark Color Maple Syrup · 8 fl oz$5.7940 g$0.98$4.81
1/4 cup onions (diced)Jumbo Yellow Onions · 1 lb$1.1940 g$0.10$1.09

beef round roast drives this basket at $9.99, 44% of the total. The next biggest lines are low-sodium canned pumpkin ($5.98) and maple syrup ($5.79). $13.40 of the basket - 58% - is package remainder: food you buy because stores sell packages and recipes call for amounts. It does not vanish, it sits in your kitchen for the next meal.

Canned pumpkin tastes good and is easy to use. The blend of ingredients in this soup gives it a hint of sweetness.

  1. In a medium-size pot, bring water to a boil.
  2. Add beef roast to boiling water. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add pumpkin, maple syrup, and pepper to pot. If using cinnamon, add that too. Mix well.
  4. Lower heat and cook for about 10 minutes. 5. Put 2 teaspoons of onion on top of each bowl of soup. Serve hot.
Cookbook: A Harvest of Recipes with USDA Foods. MyPlate took its recipe pages offline in 2026 - the original lives on at the Internet Archive. More on this: What each protein actually costs per serving.
Build my cheapest weekPrice this at my store